As modders we are open to the prospect of being able to earn something back for the many hundreds and thousands of hours that we spend to make the games we love better for everyone. At the same time, we understand more than anyone else that modding has a long history of being free, and as gamers ourselves we are more acutely aware of how this new system could potentially impact the modding scene than most consumers.

However, we feel that the potential for growth and quality in the modding scene due to being able to earn something for our work far exceeds the problems that are due to arise when there is any major shift in the industry.

With that said, we believe that lack of transparency leading up to the rollout of paid mods on the steam workshop has led to two issues that will prevent us from being able to truly commit to the system that Steam has put in place.

1. The lack of transparency in how the profit from modding is split between the modder, the publisher, and Valve has led to a deep mistrust in many members of the community and is preventing many from voicing their support for the general idea of modders being paid for their work.
2. We as modders believe that the current profit sharing scheme is wholly unfair to us for the amount of time and work that we put into our creations. While we do not know how the 75% that is kept by Valve is split between themselves and the publisher, we do not believe that 75% is a fair tithe considering the value and longevity that modders provide to a game.

We believe that the potential for all modding to reach a new level of quality is on the horizon and can be reached if we are allowed to earn a living doing what we truly love to do, making mods. Although there is sure to be a large influx of unscrupulous types trying to take advantage of gamers and make a quick buck with poorly made mods, as with mobile gaming, we believe that the free market will, with time, expose and eliminate those types.

Thank you for your time.